EPA Contestants 'Working off the Waste'

Fourteen commercial buildings from across the United States—from a skyscraper in New York City to an elementary school in the mountains of Colorado—are going head-to-head to "work off the waste" in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) first-ever National Building Competition.

Participants are measuring and tracking their building's monthly energy consumption using the EPA's online energy-tracking tool, Portfolio Manager; making improvements to their building's energy performance; and sharing their progress. The building that achieves the greatest percentage-based reduction in energy-use intensity (EUI) over a 12-month period will be announced as the winner Oct. 26.

The 14 contestants, chosen from nearly 200 applicants, are:

Morrison Residence Hall, The University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill (starting EUI: 213; midpoint EUI: 172; reduction: 19.2 percent). Housing 800 students, Morrison Hall was UNC at Chapel Hill's first solar-panel installation. It is home to the campus' Sustainability Living Learning Community.

JCPenney Store 1778, Orange, Calif. (starting EUI: 165; midpoint EUI: 138; reduction: 16.1 percent). The manager of this JCPenney store posts daily store energy-use reports, including comparisons with the company's other stores, for all associates to see. Store 1778 is using 35-percent less energy than it was using last year.

522 5th Avenue, New York (starting EUI: 242; midpoint EUI: 220; reduction: 9.2 percent). Constructed in 1896, this Class A midtown office building recently received a facelift. The new management team has made energy efficiency a priority.

Maplewood Mall, St. Paul, Minn.(starting EUI: 228; midpoint EUI: 217; reduction: 4.7 percent). Since 2003, Maplewood Mall has been trying to be as energy-efficient as possible. All mall managers are trained in reducing energy costs, and energy savings are part of the operations director's annual goal.

Crystal River Elementary School, Carbondale, Colo. (starting EUI: 186; midpoint EUI: 178; reduction: 4.5 percent). Making up Roaring Fork School District's Energy Team, 12 middle-school mathematics students are leading teachers, custodians, and maintenance-staff members in a comprehensive advanced energy-management program with the goal of earning the EPA's Energy Star label.

Memorial Arts Building at Woodruff Arts Center, Atlanta (starting EUI: 280; midpoint EUI: 270; reduction: 3.6 percent). Citizens and city leaders have set their sights on "greening the arts."

Courtyard by Marriott San Diego Downtown (starting EUI: 162; midpoint EUI: 157; reduction: 3.0 percent). Occupying a 1920s bank building in San Diego's historic Gaslamp District, this hotel retrofitted guest rooms and common areas with efficient sensors and technology. The staff formed a "Green Team" and offers guests eco-friendly options.

Sheraton Austin Hotel, Austin, Texas (starting EUI: 203; midpoint EUI: 205; increase: 0.8 percent). This hotel celebrates Earth Hour by asking guests to turn off their lights and televisions and join staff members in the lobby for acoustic music. The hotel goes green year-round through monthly energy audits, lighting retrofits, and an option for guests to opt out of housekeeping services in exchange for a $5 coupon.

Latest White Papers

Data breaches and other cyber crime cost companies billions each year worldwide, and the damage to brand reputation can be incalculable. Since hackers look for weakly defended systems to attack, this paper presents 5 cybersecurity “best practices” to mitigate system vulnerabilities. Some are commonsense measures like effective password management; others involve securing open ports and other access points, software upgrades, user management, and vulnerability plans....More

A top priority for higher education institutions is to provide a competitive learning environment for their students. In order to succeed, they must address outdated, aging campus facilities. In these older buildings maintenance and operations costs are high, space utilization is inefficient and poorly managed, and current technology is lacking. This white paper explores four strategies for converting campus facilities into a network of smart buildings that address the needs of current and future students....More